ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, USA, March 17, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Van and LaVerne Pettigen are enthusiastic, warmhearted Real Estate agents at Herrington & Company in Anchorage, Alaska.
Known as ‘The Pettigen Team’ this dynamic-duo have spent their life together as soul-mates, working side by side in various businesses due to their complementary natures.

LaVerne was born in King Salmon, Alaska, which is approximately 300 miles southwest of Anchorage. It is a very rural area known as rural Alaska, a region of Alaska that is not connected to the North American road network or ready access to the State's Ferry System. The majority of Alaska's native populations live in the bush, where they make their living in similar fashion to their ancestors. LaVerne graduated from Bristol Bay High School and worked for her father’s trucking company, where she learned how to run a business.

Van was born in Baltimore, Maryland, graduated from Southern High School and joined the Air Force. He went to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, then to technical school at Sheppard Air Force Base as a Cargo Specialist before transferring to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, working in Fleet Service. In this position, Van serviced airplanes that were going to and from Vietnam, supplying water and other essential necessities and was responsible for taking care of commercial jets and Military Aircraft.

Van recalls, “When I was young, my uncle was stationed in Alaska I was fascinated with the stories he would tell. I remember going to the library and looking it up and seeing pictures of Alaska, so I volunteered to go to Alaska. In the Air Force, we have a ‘dream sheet’ which is where you put down 3 places where you would like to go. Alaska was my first choice. I was sent to a small, all-male duty station at King Salmon Air Force Station (a General Surveillance Radar station) on a remote tour where I monitored the activity of Russian airplanes.”

At this time, a local recreation center approached Van to teach a martial arts class to keep the guys busy. The Air Force would pay, but it was also opened up to the people in King Salmon. LaVerne and her brother came to the class.


LaVerne says, “There was not a lot to do in rural Alaska, so I enrolled in the class and Van was my Karate instructor. He earned a first-degree Black Belt when he was just 14 years old and he trained me up to the point where I got my own Black Belt.”



The two became good friends. LaVerne and her brother began showing Van around Alaska in ways that he might not have seen if not for their friendship. They enjoyed going out in the deep wilderness observing the wildlife and driving on the ice.


Van recalls that it was a very interesting time. “I came from an all-black community so it was an adjustment for everyone to see us together. LaVerne came from a small village and was related to the Natives, so there was a lot of surprise and conversation about us getting together.

It wasn’t supposed to happen, but her family was very kind and people got used to me being there.




I was the only black person there. It was an adjustment for everybody, but we had bonfires and picnics together, even though it was as unusual for them as it was for me.

I remember one of her family members saying, ‘People like us need people like you’ and I knew that our union was meant to be.”

Van and LaVerne got married and had two daughters, Leigha and Latisha. They moved to Anchorage and LaVerne stayed at home with the children, but decided to work part time in sales with Herbalife, a global nutrition company.

Van retired from the Air Force in 1975 and got a job at the local airline, Wein Alaska, before deciding to work with LaVerne in Herbalife. He says, “I made enough money to quit the airline. This was network marketing and they were flying us all across the country. We were part of the corporate school crowd – which was the envy of many. Everybody wanted to be where we were. We were spoiled.”

LaVerne says, “A friend told me that I would do good in Real Estate, so I gave it a shot. I worked for Prudential Jack White and we came in #9 in our first year out of 100 agents that were there, so I decided on a career change. We have been top producers in Alaska for over 17 years.”

Van eventually joined LaVerne in Real Estate after working in car sales for 10 years. He says, “When the kids left home, we put all of our energy into Real Estate and got back to the income level that we were accustomed to.”

The Pettigen’s also inherited the family fishing business where LaVerne’s mother, brothers and sisters worked. LaVerne was a commercial fisherman and taught Van how to fish. They sell fish each year to the local canneries during a 6-week period. Their main catch is red salmon.

Alaska is the ninth biggest seafood-producing region in the world, with 80 percent of high-value wild salmon species like sockeye, coho and king salmon originating from its waters. Their daughter, Latisha runs the business now, with grandchildren Jaden and Elise. She also runs her own business. Leigha is a very successful Realtor in Tennessee.

As a Military Spouse, LaVerne is very proud to have earned her Military Relocation Professional Certification because she understands their needs and has worked with VA buyers and sellers for over 17 years in Real Estate.

The cities that the Pettigen’s serve are: Anchorage, Wasilla, Palmer, Big Lake and Mat-Su Valley.

For more information about The Pettigen Team, please visit these important websites:


http://searchhomesinak.com/

https://www.alaskarealestae411.com

http://mvarep.org/profile/LaVernePettigen?xg_source=profiles_memberList

Media Contact:
The Pettigen Team
Herrington & Company
(907) 242-7955 (cell)
(907) 263-9370 (office)
pettigenteam@gmail.com

Van and LaVerne Pettigen
The Pettigen Team
(907) 242-7955
email us here